USA > Pennsylvania > Cumberland County > Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of the Nineteenth Congressional District, Pennsylvania > Part 65
USA > Pennsylvania > Adams County > Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of the Nineteenth Congressional District, Pennsylvania > Part 65
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70
463
NINETEENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
Eli Lewis, the founder of Lewisberry, was a distinguished soldier of the Revolti- tion. He was, October Ist, 1777, commis- sioned major of the First Battalion of York county militia in active service; and was engaged in the battles of Brandywine and Germantown. The Major was born January 31st, 1750; and died February Ist, 1807. He married Pamela Webster, the daughter of John and Jane (Brinton) Web- ster, November 10th, 1779.
Webster, the oldest son of the family and the paternal grandfather of our subject, was born in Lewisberry, October 18th, 1780, and died at New Cumberland, Cumber- land county, Pa., May 28th, 1832. He was, by graduation from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pa., a physician and practiced in Lewisberry and the surround- ing country. To this calling he also added a knowledge and practice of the law in the courts of York county, in which he was a regularly admitted attorney. He was abreast of his profession here and led in the innovation of growing the poppy and mak- ing the opium which he used in his prac- tice; besides performing the first dental op- erations in the county. July 25th, 1798, Dr. Lewis married Mary,a daughter of Dr. Geo. and Ann (Rankin) Nebinger, of Lewis- berry. They had a family of eight children: Dr. Robert Nebinger, born July 30, 1799: Dr. Andrew, Dr. Eli, Dr. James, Rankin, George W., a tanner and later a farmer and hotel keeper at Diminock, Pa .; Rebecca and Annie, all deceased. Andrew, Eli and James practiced their professions in the West.
Robert, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born July 30, 1799, in Lewis- berry, practiced with his father for a time and then removed to and located at Dover, where his well spent life came to a close March 16, 1846, aged forty-six years. A Whig in politics, he made himself a power
in the councils of that party. He was an ardent admirer of Henry Clay, and during the great anti-slavery agitation of his time he lent valuable assistance in subduing sla- very by the so-called "under ground rail- way."
On March 28, 1822, he married Mary, daughter of John and Sarah (Pugh) Moore, by whom he had three daughters and four sons.
Our subject was educated in the York County Academy, where, after completing his studies, he assisted in teaching for a year. Business pursuits were, however, more to his taste and he went to Philadel- phia at the end of that term and clerked in the Merchant's hotel. In 1865 he went to Massachusetts, arriving at Springfield on Mr the day Lincoln was assassinated. Lewis held the position of foreman in the Salisbury woolen mills at Amesbury, Mass., for a year and then returned to York to become book-keeper at the First National Bank. Soon after he was made teller, and in addition to his bank duties, he engaged in the manufacture of shoes with his brother, Rush Webster, and for nine years they conducted a factory here. In 1870 Mr. Lewis retired from the First National Bank and became cashier of the newly or- ganized Western National Bank, a position he still holds. Besides this institution Mr. Lewis is connected with several other cor- porate interests. He is secretary of the York and Gettysburg Turnpike company, treasurer of the York Ice and Refrigerat- ing company, clerk of the Star Build- ing and Loan Association and treasurer of the Western Cemetery Association of York. The demands which these responsible posi- tions make upon his time, preclude any ac- tivity in politics at present, but neverthe- less Mr. Lewis has seen valuable pub- lic service. As a Republican he was elected to membership in the school board
464
BIOGRAPHICAL AND PORTRAIT CYCLOPEDIA.
in 1871 and served as president of the board for one year. He was also at another time secretary and treasurer of the board and borough treasurer in 1879. April 29,1869,he married Ellen Sarah, second daughter of Joseph Smyser and Sarah (Weaver) Smy- ser, highly respected citizens of York, and they have four sons and four daughters : Ellis S., born February 1I, 1870, teller of the York Trust company; Joseph S., a druggist; Mabel R .; Sadie M .; Clay E., at Oswego, N. Y., attending school; Nellie K .; Margie W .; Violet and M ?- thias S. The family are members of St. Paul's Lutheran church
The record of the Lewis family indicates that they were uniformly conspicuous in the history of York county and their distin- guished traits of character may be traced in what they wrought All the virtues that they exemplified in the irreproachability of their character, their unostentatious and kindly bearing and their devotion to con- science are worthily preserved in their des- cendants to-day, among whom, besides the subject of this sketch, is Ellis Lewis, of Philadelphia, ex-chief justice of the State of Pennsylvania.
C APTAIN SOLOMON MYERS, de- ceased, of York, Pennsylvania, was a son of John and Eleanor Myers and was born in Latimore township, Adams county, Pennsylvania, March 14, 1829, and died in York September 14, 1886. He was of Ger- man ancestry and having acquired an ex- cellent education in the public schools and through his own exertions, started in life as a teacher in Adams county. His family removing to York, he came here with them and spent the remainder of his life in this city.
Captain Myers acquired his military title through two terms of service in the late war, the first as a member of Company A,
6th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, which he entered April 26th, 1861, as first lieutenant and from which he retired at the expiration of his enlistment, July 24th, 1861. He then re-enlisted for three years as captain of Company E, 87th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers and served from August 24th, 1861, until October 13th, 1864, participating with his regiment in about twenty engagements, including those of Grant's advance upon Richmond, and Sheridan's campaign in the Shenandoah valley. Returning home he became a jus- tice of the peace and held that office for fifteen years. He also conducted a music store for ten years prior to his death. In politics he was a Republican and in reli- gion a Lutheran. His fraternal associa- tions were with Zeradatha Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, of which he was a mem- ber and treasurer for many years. He was also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows which he served in a repre- sentative capacity for many years prior to his death, and of General Sedgwick Post.Grand Army of the Republic, in all of which he was an active and popular member. He was a director of the Western National Bank from the time of its organization un- til his death; secretary of the Ninth Ward Building and Loan Association for about twenty years and besides encouraging others to secure homes for themselves through the agency of this very substantial institution, was himself a large holder of real estate and assisted conspicuously in the development of his section of the city.
December 8, 1872, he married Margaret A., daughter of John and Nancy Orwig, of Shrewsbury, York county, who, since the death of her husband, has managed the estate and traveled considerably in this country and abroad. -
465
NINETEENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
W ILLIAM H. WAGNER, M. D., a well established physician, of York, is a son of Joseph and Levina (Lauer) Wagner, and was born at Dover, York county, Pennsylvania, December 26, 1853. Joseph Wagner, who died in 1884 at the age of 60 years, was a native of Adams county, but subsequently removed to York, where he followed the trade of butcher for a number of years. He mar- tied Levina Laner, a daughter of Abraham Lauer, of York county. Joseph Wagner was a son of George Wagner, who was a gunsmith by trade, and whose father served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war under Washington. The Wagners are medium sized people, noted for longevity and their strong attachments to the Lutheran and Reformed churches, while the Lauers be- long to the sturdy element in Pennsylvania, known as the Pennsylvania German.
William H. Wagner was reared at Dover, and in its immediate vicinity, and after at- tending the common schools, completed his literary training in the old and celebrat- ed York County Academy, which has been a great educational force in Pennsylvania for over half a century. After leaving the Academy, Dr. Wagner taught in the public schools of his native county for the period of seven years, and then read medicine with Dr. J. R. Spangler, of York, Pa. Upon the completion of the required course of read- ing, he entered the Jefferson Medical Col- lege, Philadelphia, from which he was grad- uated in the class of 1881. Immediately after graduation he commenced the prac- tice of his chosen profession, and has re- mained an assidious disciple ever since. He has been a resident of York since 1876.
On February 15, 1883, Dr. Wagner was united in marriage at Doylestown, Bueks county, Pennsylvania, with Martha J. Stewart, of Philadelphia, and a daughter of James and Elizabeth Stewart, natives of
County Derry, Ireland. Mrs. Wagner is a consistent member of St. John's Episcopal church, and also a member of the Woman's Guild, of the same church.
Dr. and Mrs. Wagner have an adopted son, Nevin S.
In polities Dr. Wagner is a Republican, but takes no active part in political affairs beyond an intelligent exercise of the ballot. He devotes his time and attention to the many and exacting duties of his profession, and has been loath to ally himself with any interests which have in themselves a tend- ency to divert his energies from his chosen vocation. He served for two years as a member of the common council of York, but beyond this declined any further public honors. Dr. Wagner is a member of the York County and Pennsylvania State Med- ical Societies, and also of the American Medical Association and takesan active and commendable interest in the proceedings of these bodies. He is amiable and genial in manner, with a high sense of personal honor and devoted to his friends.
H ENRY WASBERS, one of the younger business men of York, growing in prominence through association with several new and flourishing interests, is a native of this city, where he was born, 1862. He is the son of a veteran who lost his life during the late rebellion. His father was Michael Wasbers who came to America from Germany when a young man and located in York. The mother was Elizabeth (Von Gardle) Wasbers. The elder Wasbers entered the war as a member of Company C, of the famous 87th Pennsyl- vania Regiment of Infantry and was wounded and died at Washington, D. C., Feb. II, 1864,and is buried at Military Asy- lum cemetery, Washington, D. C. He was survived by his wife and two sons and a daughter, who besides the subject of this
466
BIOGRAPHICAL AND PORTRAIT CYCLOPEDIA.
sketch were: Katie, wife of George Martin, of Baltimore, who has no children; and Jacob, a stationary engineer of York, who has a family of two sons and a daughter.
Our subject grew to manhood in York and in early life acquired the barber trade and worked at it for about five years, part of the time as the proprietor of his own shop. About ten years ago he established himself in the laundry business in which he is at present engaged and which during the intervening years has been considerably en- larged, with a corresponding increase and improvement in equipment as the growth of his business demanded. In 1896 he built his present handsome and commodi- ous building which is partially a residential and partially a business structure. Mr. Wasbers married here, his wife being Lu- cinda Peeling, daughter of James Peeling, at one time sheriff of the county. They have five children: Elizabeth, Mabel, Isa- bel, Dorcas and Pauline.
Mr. Wasbers is a member of the direc- tory of the Westinghouse Electric Light company and was one of its earliest pro- motors. He is also, besides a director, the honored vice president of the company. Besides this connection, he is one of the manangers of the Penn Wall Paper com- pany, limited, and treasurer of the People's Mutual Life and Relief Association, both York corporations. Mr. Wasbers is a man possessed of considerable domestic taste, but he does not confine himself entirely to home life and his business. He is known as one of the keenest sportsmen of the city, being an excellent shot, a skillful disciple of Izaak Walton and a lover of fast horses and well bred hunting dogs.
J OHN EDWARD VANDERSLOOT, ESQ., a young and energetic mem- ber of the York County Bar, was born at Glen Rock, York county, Pennsyl-
vania, February 17, 1869, and is a son of Dr. Frederick W. and Sarah G. G. Fife Vandersloot The family is of German lineage, the first progenitor in Pennsyl- vania being the Rev. Frederick W. Von- der-sloot, who was born in Zerbst, a town in Anhalt-Dessau, a principality in Upper Saxony, Germany, in 1743. He had been the only son of Rev. Frederick Wilhelm Von-der-Sloot, and emigrated to Pennsyl- vania in 1782, his wife and family remain- ing in Europe. His first field lay in Allen township, Northampton county, Pa., and became known later as the "Dry land charge.' From 1784 to 1786 he served as German Reformed pastor of the Goshen- hoppen church in Upper Salford township, Montgomery county, Pa. His first wife having died, he married on January 29, 1784, Miss Anna Margretta, eldest daugh- ter of Jacob Reed, Esq., of Hatfield town- ship. He returned to Northampton county, where he died in 1803.
Rev. Frederick W. Von-der-Sloot, Jr., the third, was an eloquent minister. He was born November II, 1775, in Dessau, Eu- rope. After finishing his education at Heidelberg University he followed his father to Pennsylvania, where he married Catharine D., daughter of Rev. P. R. Pauli, of Reading. From 1812 to 1818 he was German Reformed pastor at Goshen- hoppen church, just mentioned; and also preached in Philadelphia, West Virginia, and other points, but finally settled in York county, Pa., where he died December 14, 1831, and is buried with his wife, at Holtz- schwam church, his last charge. His eld- est son, Rev. Frederick W. Vandersloot, the fourth, was born in Philadelphia, Janu- ary 8, 1804, and adopted the traditional calling of his ancestors. Like his father, he ranked high as a preacher. His labors were confined almost exclusively to York county, where he was widely known and
467
NINETEENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
highly esteemed. His charges in York county were numerous, among them being, Sadler's church, Ziegler's, near Seven Val- ley, Blymire's church, Zion's church, Springettsbury, Stahley's church, Lower End. At the latter charge his ministry ex- tended over a period of 44 years. He mar- ried Mary A. Witman and died September II, 1878. Both are interred at Prospect Hill cemetery, York, Pa.
Dr. Frederick W. Vandersloot, eldest son of the latter, was the first in five gener- ations to seek a professional career outside of the ministry of the German Reformed church. Dr. Vandersloot was born in Wind- sor township, York county, Pa., on Janu- ' ary 30, 1834, and is one of the oldest phy- sicians in York county, having been in ac- tive practice since 1855, in which year he graduated from the University of Mary- land. He married Sarah G. G. Fife, a daughter of Robert Fife, of Shrewsbury. Mrs. Vandersloot was born in Shrewsbury February 21, 1838. The Fife family is of Irish decent. Dr. and Mrs. Vandersloot reared a family of five children, Frederick W., Jr., Anna, intermarried with John F. Kissinger, Robert F., John Edward and Lewis.
John Edward Vandersloot was educated in the public schools. He became a clerk in the Pennsylvania Agricultural Works and later accepted a position as news reporter on the York Dispatch, where he was em- ployed for several years He acquired a knowledge of shorthand and typewriting, and after leaving the Dispatch became ste- nographer and clerk in the chain manufac- turing establishment of J. C. Schmidt & Co., with whom he remained for a period of three years. At the expiration of this time he registered with George S. Schmidt, Esq., as a law student and was admitted to the Bar of York county, October 1893. Mr. Vandersloot's clerical experience, his
knowledge of shorthand and typewriting, as well as his knowledge of law and people, constitute a somewhat unusual equipment for a young man in the legal profession. He has a rapidly increasing law practice.
Mr. Vandersloot has for a number of years been a member of the Duke Street Methodist Episcopal church, in which he holds official position, and with whose ex- tension and moral work he has always been identified. He is a pronounced Republican in politics, gives liberal support to its prin- ciples and policies, and during the Presi- dential campaign did effective campaign work for the national and local candidates. He was recently chosen Chairman of the York County Republican organization.
On June 5, 1895, he was wedded to Miss Carolyn S. Helker, a daughter of D. A. Helker and Emily (Sayres) Helker, of York. They have one child, named Charles Edwin.
J AMES GREENE DURBIN, Civil En- gineer, and at present City Engineer of York, Pa., is a native of Wales, where in the suburbs of Tradegar in Mon- mouthshire he was born September 25, 1856, the oldest son of Joseph W. and Louise (Hewlett) Durbin. His parents are of English birth and ancestry and came from the vicinity of Bristol in Somerset- shire. The father was a shoemaker by oc- cupation, came to America in the year following the birth of his son and arrived in Schuylkill county, later settling in Wil- liamstown, Dauphin county, Pa., where he now resides and is engaged in mercantile and manufacturing business. Coming to America with his parents in his first year, the subject of this sketch was reared and grew to manhood in Dauphin county where he obtained a good common school education. He then attended the Freeburg Academy for a year and half. After which
468
BIOGRAPHICAL AND PORTRAIT CYCLOPEDIA.
he spent two years at the Millersville State Normal school of Millersville, Pa. He then returned home and spent some six years in his father's general store where he received a most excellent business training. During this time he determined upon civil en- gineering as his profession, always having cherished this desire from youth. During the succeeding four years of his life his previous intellectual training was supple- mented by a special course of training at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute of Troy, N. Y., from which he graduated in 1884. He then spent about three years in professional work in the coal mining dis- trict of West Virginia, having headquarters at Cedar Grove just above Charleston. About this time a topographical survey of York was started by Engineer Goerke, of Columbia, and Mr. Durbin came here to be his assistant. He spent about two years in this capacity and his capabilities having been demonstrated, Councils elected him City Engineer and he has held the office ever since despite the changes in party con- trol in the city. Since his incumbency he has given the city faithful and efficient ser- vice and his recommendations, whenever followed, have always resulted in satisfac- tory public improvement.
Mr. Durbin married, in Philadelphia, Elizabeth Cordelia Gray, a native of Juniata county, the daughter of Albert and Sarah (Trego) Gray, who were of old and respect- ed Chester county families. They are both members of the First Methodist church.
C'
CHRISTIAN DIETZ, of Mechanics- burg, is a son of Daniel and Lydia (Stoner) Dietz, and was born on the old Dietz homestead near Hellam, in Hellam township, York county, Pennsylvania, Oc- tober 3, 1832. The Dietz is an old and highly respected German family of York county, and George Dietz, the grandfather
of our subject, was born on the family homestead, where he remained a farmer all his life. He was a member of the Re- formed church. Daniel Dietz, the father of our subject, was also born on the old home- stead, on December 13th, 1798, one of ten children. When he grew to manhood he learned the trade of blacksmith and follow- ed it in a shop to the west of the village of Hellam until 1837, when he bought the well known Crother's farm in East Pens- boro township, and there spent the re- mainder of his life, dying January 10, 1860. He, however, retired from farming ten years before. He was a member of the Reformed church and a Democrat. He filled several of the township offices. His wife was Lydia, daughter of Christian Stoner, of Hellam township, York county. They had three sons and three daughters: Mary, deceased, was married to John S. Snively, a Silver's Spring township farmer ; David farmed on his father's farm and died Feb. 20th, 1884, aged sixty-seven years. He was county commissioner for one year and held several township offices; Zachariah died 1875, aged forty-seven years, he was a farmer in Silver's Springs township; Nancy married Martin Brinton, of East Pensboro township, and Elizabeth died in girlhood.
Our subject was brought up on the farm and for thirty-three years followed that oc- cupation. He obtained his education in the public schools. In 1889 he removed to Me- chanicsburg, where he has since resided. Mr. Dietz still owns a fine farm of 305 acres in Hampden township where he form- erly farmed. He is one of the largest tax payers in the township, a stanch Democrat, and for eighteen years served on the town- ship school board. He was, besides, twice township assessor and county auditor from 1865 to 1868. Mr. Dietz has been much sought after to serve as guardian for or- phan children, having acted in that capa-
469
NINETEENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
city for fifteen minor children; and he has settled half a dozen estates. He is a mem- ber of the Lutheran church. January 24, 1856, he married Elizabeth Wilt, daughter of John Wilt, a farmer of East Pensboro township. To that union were born five children: George, a farmer of Hampden township, deceased; Alice Jane, wife of Frederick Mumma, manager of the Harris- burg Preserving Company, at Riverton; Rebecca E., wife of F. G. Basehore, a far- mer of Silver's Spring township; Milton C., a farmer on his father's homestead in Hampden township; Catharine N., wife of Martin H. Hertzler, a farmer of Hampden township.
D R. FREDERICK C. BUCHER, a leading physician and surgeon of Wrightsville, York county, is a native of Columbia, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and was born March 23, 1868, the son of Frederick and Louise (Bartch) Bucher. The Buchers are of German origin. Maximil- ian Joseph Bucher, the grandfather of Dr. Bucher, was born in Deggingen, Kingdom of Wurtemberg, Germany, where he spent his entire life and up to the time of his death was engaged in a general mercantile business. He married Barbara Berndeler, a lady of Wurtemberg, by whom he had seven children: Frederick, Christian, Max- imilian, Bertha, who married Alexander Teippel, Mary, Amelia and Christiana.
Frederick Bucher, the father of our sub- ject, was born in Wurtemberg September 18, 1830. He received a good education in Germany and at first was engaged in the management of his father's business. In 1853 he came to America and located at Columbia on the Susquehanna river, oppo- site Wrightsville, where the doctor at pres- ent resides, where he was in the employ of several hardware firms and through this circumstance came to invent a stove which
was an improvement on those then in use. After this he engaged in the general merchandise business until 1886,when, hav- ing accumulated a considerable amount of the world's goods, he retired to enjoy his remaining days in the ease and comfort that his previous activity had earned for him. Mr. Bucher is one of the large real estate owners of Columbia and as a large tax payer and at one time leading business man, is well known and prominent. In po- litics he is a Republican and manifests a commendable interest in local affairs. In religion he is a liberal. Mr. Bucher has no military record acquired in his adopted country but he saw service in a Rifle com- pany in Wurtemberg before emigrating to America. He is a member of Susquehanna Lodge, No. 80, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and of No. 20, Council, Artisans Order of Mutual Protection. In 1860 he married Louise, a daughter of Michael and Elizabeth Bartch, by whom he had four children: William Louis, of Columbia; Dr. Frederick C., our subject; Mary Elizabeth and Emily. Mrs. Bucher died in 1895.
Dr. Frederick C. Bucher spent the earlier years of his life in acquiring a good Eng- lish education in the public schools of Co- lumbia and graduated in 1885. He then took a post graduate course in the High school and in the spring of 1886 went into the drug store of Dr. C. F. Markle, where he remained a year. He then went to Philadelphia and for a time was employed in the drug business but having determined to enter the medical profession he withdrew from active employment and became a stu- dent at Franklin & Marshall College dur- ing the years 1886 and '87. He then en- tered Princeton University as a Freshman and graduated in 1892. During the fol- lowing three years he studied medicine in the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania and in 1895 received his
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.